How we’ll trace grazing routes in states – FG officials

Following the directive by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for the reclamation of grazing routes in states across the country, senior officials in the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have given a hint as to how they will go about the assignment.

Buhari’s directive on the reclamation of grazing routes has met with widespread pushback, especially in the southern part of the country, where the 17 southern governors have declared their resolve on promulgating anti-open grazing laws, as a panacea for the incessant farmers/herders clashes.

The Federal Government said tracing and reclaiming the grazing routes was the only way to put an end to the incessant clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farmers across the country and it was moving ahead with the plan.

Senior government officials in the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told Sunday PUNCH that the grazing routes were classified into primary, secondary and tertiary and the retracing process would take cognisance of these.

Sunday PUNCH also learnt that some federal structures were already constructed on grazing routes, with a tertiary institution in the Federal Capital Territory named as one of such structures.

The officials, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, noted that several programmes had been developed by the Federal Government towards the exercise, while some were currently ongoing in various states to address the conflict occasioned by the movement of pastoralists from one location to another.

It was further gathered that the Federal Government was supporting Yobe and Katsina states in the development of grazing reserves, as Bauchi and Kwara had indicated interest.



The officials, however, explained that the government would be mindful of conflict zones as it moves to recover the grazing routes.

Commenting on structures located on grazing routes, during an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, a senior official at the Presidency, who pleaded to be anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the matter, said, “The University of Abuja is on the stock (grazing) route.

 “I used to see monuments on the stock routes and these routes have been encroached on for a long time. So, retracing them will unearth a lot of things. In many states, farmers are farming on the stock routes.”

On whether it would not be possible to retrace the routes, considering the massive level of encroachment on them, the official replied, “There are some that you can still retrace.

 “You will be surprised to know that even some Fulani are not after reclaiming the stock routes and the grazing reserves because they are farming there. Some of them now say that it (the farms) is what they are surviving on.”

The official explained that the stock routes connect one grazing reserve to another.

The source explained that the primary stock routes were routes that moved from one ECOWAS state to the other, while the secondary stock routes were routes that moved from state to state.

“The tertiary routes are the stock routes that connect grazing reserves within a state and cattle breeders know these routes and use the monuments on them as guides,” the official stated.

Also speaking on grazing reserves and routes, a director at the FMARD stated that the government in collaboration with Gombe State was currently developing a model grazing reserve in the state.

The source noted that a lot of programmes were being embarked upon by the Federal Government for pastoralists, adding that once the projects become functional there would be rapid livestock transformation in Nigeria.

The official said, “There is a model grazing reserve currently being established in Gombe and some media personnel were there. There is another intervention in Borno State.

“Apart from that, we also have within our capital budget, development of pasture in grazing reserves and settlements where we have pastoralists.

“In addition to all these, we are also desilting dams, particularly now that the rains have come and we have programmes that will encourage the pastoralists to settle down as much as possible.

“We are constructing solar-powered boreholes and systems to provide light within our Livestock Intervention Programme locations and some other grazing reserves that we have been intervening in, as located other states that have not been mentioned for the LIP.”



On July 24, 2021, Saturday PUNCH exclusively reported that the Federal Government had to introduce the LIP as a replacement scheme for the controversial Rural Grazing Area project, two years after suspending the RUGA scheme.

The report stated that the LIP was introduced to address the lingering farmer-herder crisis across the country.

The acting Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Winnie Lai-Solarin, told one of our correspondents that the LIP was already being implemented in the six pilot states.

“The states are Adamawa, Kwara, Niger, Bauchi, Kaduna and Gombe,” Lai-Solarin had stated.

Meanwhile, a source at the agric ministry stated on Friday that aside from the LIP, the government had commenced another livestock project which had kicked off in Nasarawa.

“One of them is the Livestock Breeding Programme in Kano. Apart from that, we are partnering with the Feed and Fodder Association on the National Pasture Development Programme.”

Another official of the ministry told our correspondent that another project for livestock development in Nigeria was being planned by the Federal Government and the World Bank.

The source said, “We also have in the pipeline, a programme called the Livestock Productivity and Resilient Support Project. The World Bank is supporting that project and it is another commitment from the government to address value chain issues across the country.

“It is to look at the commercialisation of livestock and to also look at private sector participation and it is taking very seriously gender issues.”

The official noted that the Federal Government was also supporting states in the development of their grazing reserves.

“I will also like to add that so many states are being supported by the Federal Government to develop their grazing reserves, ranches and to also intervene in conflict resolution within the state. So the Federal Government is doing quite a lot to end this crisis,” the source stated.

The FMARD officials said the government carried out needs assessments in the states to determine what pastoralists and crop farmers actually needed before embarking on the various interventions.

They noted that the assessments were done to also ensure the sustainability of the projects, as there had been similar interventions in the past that were not sustainable.

On states supported by the Federal Government on grazing reserves, the official said, “I know of Yobe and Katsina, while Bauchi and Kwara have expressed interest in developing their grazing reserves.”



Meanwhile, the Director, Information, FMARD, Theodore Ogaziechi, when contacted to tell the number of states that had received funds for the development of ranches or grazing reserves, replied in the negative.

“We don’t have the details,” he stated.

He, however, noted that the government was working hard to resolve the conflict between farmers and herders through the development of programmes.

Gombe developing over 140,000 hectares for NLTP

Acting Surveyor-General of Gombe State, Rebecca Burkar, said not less than 140,000 hectares of land was being developed for the National Livestock Transformation Programme of the Federal Government in the Dukku Local Government Area.

Burkar, in an interview with our correspondent in Gombe, said that the 140,000-hectare settlement would comprise a human community clinic, a veterinary clinic, a micro pit dam, 10 hectares of pasture/fodder bank and two access roads.

Similarly, senior government officials in Katsina State, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that over 7,000 hectares of land were currently being utilised for a ranch project facilitated by the N6.25bn special intervention fund released to the state government by the Federal Government.

The 7,000 hectares are part of the over 122,000 hectares of land Katsina had for grazing sites, they said.


It was also gathered that the Katsina State government intends to commence ranch projects in 10 local government areas.

Count Benue out, Ortom insists


But Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State is sticking to his guns and has told the Federal Government to count his state out of the proposed grazing reserves programme.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, on August 20, 2021, the governor reiterated that there was no land for grazing reserves or cattle routes in Benue State.

Our land is for cultivation, not grazing – Ebonyi

Similarly, the Ebonyi State Government, through its Surveyor-General, John Igbede, said no state in Igboland has a grazing site.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, in a telephone interview, in Abakaliki, on Friday, Igbede, said, “Ebonyi State is an Igbo state and as one of the states in Igboland, there is no grazing site in any Igbo state. Ebonyi doesn’t have any site for grazing.”

Also, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the state, Chief Moses Ali, said, “Our land is for the cultivation of rice, maize, cassava and others and not for grazing.”

In Osun, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola said he was not sure if the state had grazing routes.



Speaking during a radio programme monitored by our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday, Oyetola said, “I am not too sure we have a grazing route in Osun State. I have not been able to confirm that. The position of the southern governors is a collective decision. So, I can’t say anything to the contrary as it is.”

His counterpart in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde, also ruled out the possibility of reviving grazing routes in the state.

Makinde, who spoke to our correspondent through his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, said, “Oyo State has an anti-open grazing law which was signed into law in 2019. The law prohibits open grazing of animals. That rules out the possibility of revival of the said grazing routes. The state however has farm settlements that have the capacity to accommodate the entire value chain of animal husbandry.”

https://punchng.com/how-well-trace-grazing-routes-in-states-fg-officials/

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.





ESN is still very much active to send any specie trying to encroach on our lands through the forest to their maker for judgement.


THANK YOU.

The kain katata this buhari government wan cause in this country bc of cows i hope whn the kasala burst them go fit handle am!

i never see where government carry private business of a people for head like galla!

myetti allah is far richer than many states in Nigeria why cant they invest their huge reserve into buying lands for ranching for their people?

You can use Google Map e go help u people trace am....


after 8years of this regime if we look at things wey gt attention pass na Cow e go be....

This will bring Futher division, bring perpetrators of crime to book . This can't help unify .

In 2021 Nigeria's President is still talking about grazing routes, not insecurity, inflation, unemployment, hardship not even how to better the lives of Nigerians, but COW.


God help he that still believeth in Nigeria

If Fulani herdsmen are truly nigerians,where are their lands,why force them on others,they should as other business entrepreneurs,buy lands rent house and pay bills,is this too hard to ask

Keep deceiving yourselves.

Buhari is hell bent on this cow matter.

Of all what's happening in the country , FG is still bent on tracing grazing areas all over the country .

What's really wrong with these people , rearing of cows is a private business for christ sake and you can't force me to sell my land not to talk of submitting my land to foreigners for grazing their cows.

Nothing we will say now that hasn't been said before but we will not keep quiet nor relent.

To the Futa Jalon terrorists and their Patron in Ask rock, ESN is very much active now than before. They are growing numerically and 'weaponically'. Forget all those rubbish you read online to the admiration of all Zombies. They lost over 15 men the other day only to claim that only one policeman was killed and two injured while telling the whole world that they killed scores of ESN members. Why didn't they show the dead members rather they showed only two Pump action shotguns. The Police we know can't kill one ESN without showing the corpse to the whole world. Zombies should know that ESN does not make use of Pump Actions but Ak 47 and Ak 49 rifles. In reality, they collected heavily and ran away like Cowards they are. If you a Janjaweedian and you want to test the might of the ESN, locate one bush beside you with your cows and see for yourself. That is if you are lucky to survive with your life.

obiekunie01:
The kain katata this buhari government wan cause in this country bc of cows i hope whn the kasala burst them go fit handle am!

i never see where government carry private business of a people for head like galla!

myetti allah is far richer than many states in Nigeria why cant they invest their huge reserve into buying lands for ranching for their people?

If a certain claim doesn't make sense, know that there's another reason beneath which most times is the real aim. It is not about cattle grazing. It is about conquest and land supplanting. Point Blank.

Since Buhari entered as President, we have been discussing cows

Why would a National policy be towards developing personal businesses for some group of people

Uder threat of death

Routes that never belonged to them in the first place

There are no grazing routes in any part of southern Nigeria and any attempt to forcefully create one therein will be fiercely resisted.

Buhari, don't start what you cannot finish as you'll only make your fulani kinsmen to be specially targeted for brutal attacks in the south if you insist. Grazing routes,Ruga or whatever will never be accepted by the people of southern Nigeria.

We won't give our land to Malians,Senegalese,
Guineans, Nigerienes,Chadians,etc simply because they are Fulani and we,unfortunately have a nepotistic fulani man as the President of Nigeria currently. Fulani aren't Nigerians,including you sir ! Do not tempt our resolve and capability to defend our ancestral land.

3% / 30% games is loading on the Constitution amendments.

Hope the Governors have good Consultants at hand to interpret what they don't know before any signing.

If

Whitecoal711:
If Fulani herdsmen are truly nigerians,where are their lands,why force them on others,they should as other business entrepreneurs,buy lands rent house and pay bills,is this too hard to ask

good question!! Don't they have land

Misplaced lots

We Yoruba Muslims want RUGA in entire southwest. We and Fulani's are one

These Fulani people must have cow dvng for brains. The south has repeatedly told those terr0rists in Aso Rock that there are no grazing routes in d region but they want to create it by force. It will be resisted strongly. No foreign bloodsucking parasite will be given an inch of our ancestral lands.

Wahala for afghanistan brother

Davash222:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.

ESN is still very much active to send any specie trying to encroach on our lands through the forest to their maker for judgement.

THANK YOU.

TO whom it may concern, make una hear well well o

Kaiiii,Gen Buhari acts like a confused man,the reason for the problem of the outdated, archaic,and Colonial masters relic grazing route is right there in the story.
Is it that people are afraid to tell Gen Buhari the truth,right there in the story it's stated clearly that the University of Abuja is right on the grazing route,so the committee will recommend that the University allow the grazing route to pass through it's backyard.......HABA.
Someone should tell Gen Buhari that the outdated, archaic and Colonial master relic grazing routes are outdated,Nigeria is now a population of 200million and the land mass has shrinked,the poor man only has the land as his own last hold capital.
Any attempt to carve out a grazing route from the North to the South will be met with fatalistic consequences.
Gen Buhari should stop being adamant on this idea of grazing route if he really wants to settle the Fulani nomads,he will end up creating a problem he can never never solve.
God bless Nigeria

Are u guys not tired of d blood flowing in this country..why can't u guys promote ranching..must it be grazing route in this computer dispensation...

This Buhari govt. is seriously demarketing APC ahead of 2023.. GEJ did his own but wasn't up to forcing certain ethnicities and private businesses down the throat of Nigerians.

It's a pity the labour of the likes of Tinubu might end up down the drain. Buhari can't fight over 200 million people when they rise up. The EndSars saga should have taught everyone a lesson but no, power intoxicates.
What we are witnessing now is the recipe for disaster, confrontation, bloodbath and disintegration.. well meaning Nigerians need to speak up now before it becomes too late.

Power belongs to the people who elect individuals into public offices. Same way the people can bring down any government if need arises. A word is enough.

Buhari DEY MENT O

As if cows is the reason for fulani terrorist violence against indigenous people of Nigeria. What the merchants of death in buhari's fulani regime are after is one - make Nigeria a "Fulani Republic." Nothing more nothing less. Anything else is pure TAQIYYA. No indigenous Nigerian should fall for their Satanic lies. Lying is part and percel of them just like their father SATAN.

By the way, no inch of land in Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria will be given to fulani murderers in the name of cattle grazing.
Bloody fulani terrorist regime.

DISINTEGRATION OF NIGERIA WILL SAVE MILLIONS OF MIDDLE BELT AND SOUTHERN LIVES FROM FULANI AND BOKOHARAM TERRORISM.

AntiBMC:
These Fulani people must have cow dvng for brains. The south has repeatedly told those terr0rists in Aso Rock that there are no grazing routes in d region but they want to create it by force. It will be resisted strongly. No foreign bloodsucking parasite will be given an inch of our ancestral lands.

They have seen the hand writing on the wall on their impeding doom thanks to their own wickedness and are desperate to secure land for fulani murderers they brought into Nigeria (for 2015 presidential elections) before buhari leaves office. Unfortunately for them, we're unto them. They'll surely PAY for every soul slaughtered by fulani terrorists in Nigeria.

Buhari is mad.

There is nothing to trace,
You are terrorist sponsor